Please support the Humane Cosmetics Act

The Humane Cosmetics Act–a bill that would end animal testing for cosmetics in the U.S.–has just been introduced in the House of Representatives! Ask your representative to co-sponsor this important legislation.

Animals in laboratories endure painful and deadly experiments to test cosmetics. The Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 2858) will make this a thing of the past by prohibiting animal testing for all cosmetic products manufactured or sold in the U.S.

Alternatives to animal testing already exist: Humane and safe cosmetics can be made using thousands of existing ingredients, and several non-animal safety tests are already available for new ingredients. These non-animal alternatives are often cheaper, faster, and more reliable.

More than 30 countries have phased out cosmetic animal testing, including Norway, Israel, India and every country in the European Union.

TAKE ACTION

Please make a brief, polite phone call to your U.S. Representative to urge support for H.R. 2858, the Humane Cosmetics Act. Look up your legislator’s phone number. You can say, “I’m a constituent and I urge you to co-sponsor the Humane Cosmetics Act, if you haven’t already done so. This bill would prohibit animal testing for cosmetics manufactured or sold in the U.S.”

After making your phone call (please do not skip that crucial step!), fill in and submit this form send a follow-up message.

In 2014, over 1200 geese were killed in local and state parks. And it’s starting again.

(from Peace for Geese Project)

Washington State Parks has joined the interlocal agreement to kill geese throughout the Puget Sound region. After hiring Wildlife Services in 2013 to kill geese at Lake Sammamish State Park, Washington State Parks stated they had no plans to kill geese in 2014. However, in 2014 they once again paid to have geese killed at Lake Sammamish State Park and also at Deception Pass State Park.

Interlocal agreement members need to stop the killing. And, they need to be held accountable for accepting obvious discrepancies and inaccuracies in the record keeping and reporting provided by Wildlife Services.

Please contact Washington State Parks to ask them to stop killing geese.

New disturbing information has surfaced about horrific animal abuse at Deployment Medicine International (DMI), a military trauma training contractor. For all the info, see the details at all-creatures.org.

Deployment Medicine International (DMI), the self-proclaimed “largest trainer of US military forces in operational medicine,” is the subject of an exposé by PETA, in which thousands of live animals are violently shot, stabbed, dismembered and killed each year.

Eyewitness video footage released by PETA and related documents reveal shocking abuse of animals, racism, homophobia, sexism and reported physical and sexual assault of military service members by a leading military training contractor.

The investigation documented a training course attended by members of the Navy, Air Force and civilians led by DMI. In the eyewitness video, instructors shot and cut up live pigs for disgusting “training” exercises.

One DMI instructor told students that Muslims “would be even better” than using pigs for the training. Other DMI staff made inappropriate sexual and homophobic remarks to the students during the course.

The Virginia Board of Medicine recently suspended the medical license of DMI’s president for his alleged sexual assault and other physical abuse of service members.

Shooting, stabbing, and otherwise maiming animals is an ineffective and crude way to teach human medicine. Please speak up.

Action:

Tell your Congressional Representatives to SUPPORT the Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training (BEST) Practices Act (S. 587/H.R. 1095) which will finally end the use of animals in crude military training courses.

Primate Products Inc. is not just a primate dealer. It’s a house or horrors for the primates confined there. PPI, in Hendry County, Florida, imports, warehouses, and sells monkeys destined for experiments. They have federal contracts worth more than $13 million (including by the NIH, the Army, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

This horrific operation neglect, abuse, and terrorize monkeys. They’ve been cited by the USDA for violating animal welfare regulations–yet the abuse continues.

Please click this link and sign the petition at the end of the page. The content isn’t pleasant, but please think of the monkeys trapped in this hellhole. Do it for them.

It’s your opportunity to ask officials in Hendry County, Florida, to take action against PPI and close it for good.

Circus World in Baraboo, Wisconsin, offers outdated elephant acts and rides. PETA is urging the Circus World Museum Foundation’s board of directors to end the cruelty. Please go to this petition and sign for the elephants.

Elephant rides belong in the history books and have no place in modern society.

Please speak up for elephants by urging the Circus World Museum Foundation’s board of directors to listen to the modern audience and stop endangering the public and abusing elephants.

Have you heard about The Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT Act)? It will make malicious cruelty to an animal in any area where the federal government has jurisdiction a federal crime.

Federal law already prohibits animal fighting, as well as trading in obscene video depictions of animals being crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled or subjected to other forms of heinous cruelty. But while the trade in video depictions of cruelty is banned, the underlying cruelty itself is not. The PACT Act will create a federal anti-cruelty statute that complements the cruelty laws in the 50 states.

TAKE ACTIONPlease make a brief, polite phone call now to your U.S. Representative.Look up your representative’s phone number. You can say, “As someone who cares about animals and preventing animal cruelty, I urge you to co-sponsor HR 2293, the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture Act.”

Calling is so important. Please do not skip this crucial step. Then, personalize and submit the letter in this link to send a follow-up message.

Have you heard that Whole Foods sells rabbit meat? In Defense of Animals recently wrote about the pilot program.

There’s no justification for eating any kind of animals, but it’s especially disturbing that, as more Americans are cutting back or omitting animal products, Whole Foods is promoting rabbits.

Rabbits are the fifth most popular pet, which makes this “food” introduction especially confusing.

And as with any industry that profits from animals, rabbits in the supply chain are treated cruelly and suffer immensely.

You can help!

Please follow the link to IDA’s factsheet. It includes a number you can call as well as a form you can fill out. Here’s info from IDA about what to say when you call:

Whole Foods corporate phone number: 512-477-4455

Here are some talking points to get you started:

The demand for rabbit is not strong and is in fact waning. We do not need another “meat” source, especially not from a companion animal, as rabbits are the number 5 companion animal in US households.

As a compassionate grocer, there is no reason to add another animal to your menu, especially one that millions of households consider a family pet.

I ask you to take rabbit off the shelves, as one of millions of shoppers who appreciate your variety of vegetarian and vegan options in addition to your product offerings that do not test on animals, including rabbits.

Sprouts listened to its customers and took rabbit meat off the shelves. Please follow their lead or I will take my business to Sprouts.

Calendar

January2019

NARN's board of directors meets monthly to discuss our campaigns and administrative issues. Guests are welcome to attend if we have enough time on our agenda.

If you wish to have an agenda item added to the NARN Board Meeting, please email info@narn.org at least a day in advance. You can also send us a message on Facebook anytime or even the day of the meeting and we'll get back to you. All NARN Board Meetings are held in Seattle.

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by our desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join us in providing free, educational information to the public about the dangers of supporting backyard breeding practices and puppy mills, the importance of spaying and neutering pets, the time and money it takes to responsibly care for a living creature, and the positive effects of screening pet owners through application processes.

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2093159060741059/

Come join us for a delicious brunch at the fabulous Celest Cafe AND write some letters for animals.

NARN provides the stationery, pens, stamps, sample letters, and ideas for what to write -- just bring yourself. You can even bring your laptop if you'd prefer to type or email your letters!

Why letter writing? Letter writing is a simple way to make change for the animals! At our letter writing events, we write for many different reasons: opposition to the creation of new animal laboratories, support for sending animals to sanctuary, promotion of vegan events and issues through letters to the media, and raising the spirits of activists and comrades who have been jailed for their pro-animal and political actions!

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 6pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/512061562622307/

The University of Washington's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) will be meeting to discuss various research protocols (study designs). This is your chance to voice your opinion about the research on animals that goes on at the UW. Please come and speak for the animals!
The meetings are held at the South Campus Center; Room #342 (in between San Juan Road & Columbia Road); behind the Magnuson Health Sciences Center (1925 N.E. Pacific St) )
http://www.washington.edu/maps/

Unfortunately, they frequently re-schedule or cancel their meetings in an attempt to avoid the public, so please call the Public Affairs Office at 206-543-9180 to make sure the meeting is still happening at the given time.
You can also check out their calendar here (copy & paste link into your browser)
http://oaw.washington.edu/iacuc-meeting-schedule/

This month we will be checking out Travelers Thali House. They have tons of vegan options. See their menu here:
http://www.travelersthalihouse.com/Menu102014.html
The Social Discussion Group is a casual event. Drinkers and non-drinkers are welcome, and you don't have to be vegetarian to participate. We hope you'll join us! Questions? Contact rachel[at]narn[dot]org

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/406570843449273/

La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza will be offering a tasty Vegan Tamales Cooking Class in partnership with the Food Empowerment Project! Now is your chance to learn how to make vegan tamales from a master tamalera! The tamales are prepared in the handmade and traditional fashion using cultural ingredients. Sweet sangrias, beer and wine will also be served and is included in the ticket price.

Class will begin promptly at 10:00 AM in the kitchen at El Centro de la Raza. Classes typically take 2.5 to 3 hours long. All cooking supplies and ingredients will be provided, but please bring your own apron.

The money for the La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza Latin Cooking Classes go to fund El Centro de la Raza's Senior programs.

For updates on this event see
https://www.facebook.com/events/2404477662895760/